AUTHORITY (SOUTHERN REACH #2) by Jeff VanderMeer ⭐⭐⭐

If you consistently fall asleep reading a certain book, is it the book’s fault, or yours? I found this happening every single night I struggled through Authority, and while it’s probably a 50/50 mix, maybe even skewed one direction by my currently exhaustive life and the furnace-warmed house in winter, I think the book owns the blame.

The premise of the series is profound, but there’s something off in the execution. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. While I welcomed the change of perspective from the first book, a lot of the allure that propelled Annihilation was lost. We traded an enigmatic, terrifying land for an office building. Bouncing back and forth between Control’s past and present with the backdrop of Area X’s long history creeping back up is one too many timelines to keep track of. The twists and turns didn’t stick as much because the focus was constantly shifting. I’m not even sure I know exactly what was and is going on, or why. But maybe that’s because I read so many pages through my eyelids.

The back cover of the third book says it has the answers. Annihilation was worth the price of entry. Even with its faults, there are still images seared in my brain. I believe Acceptance has the chance to elevate the whole set. I’m skeptical, but there’s something still breathing beneath the surface. I’d love to see it come to back life.